4 minute read
11 A Message from Lord Andrew Mawson OBE
Noah Steele and PAC
Embracing Innovation!
Activate Your Curiosity, Innovate Competition – Winner Noah Steele, Harryville Primary School.
As part of Science Summer School, pupils from across the Borough were asked to design an innovative idea that could improve our lives for the future. Harryville Primary school pupil Noah Steele, Year 5, won overall Winning Design in the Council’s ‘Activate Your Curiosity’ competition, sponsored by the PAC Group. Noah was born with part of his right arm missing and said he wanted to create something special for children and adults like him. Taking inspiration from The Avengers franchise, Noah designed an original prosthetic arm equipped with a range of interchangeable attachments including a Lego build plate, a storage compartment with magnetic closure, two Lego block attachments and most importantly a Hulk hand attachment!
- Marie Curie, physicist, chemist and Nobel Prize winner.
Activate Your Curiosity, T-shirt Competition - Winner Ryan Conway, Harryville Primary School.
In March 2022, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council invited pupils from across the borough to enter an exciting Science Summer School competition in honour of the borough’s rich industrial heritage and the sustainability and future of fashion.
Pupils were asked to ‘Activate their Curiosity’ by creating an original t-shirt design reflecting First Attempts; Activate your Curiosity; or The Universe. In total 185 entries were received. The winning design by Harryville Primary School pupil Ryan Conway, focused on first attempts and highlighted the importance of perseverance. His design was brought to life by Whitehead based company, Rhuban Design, who use only eco-friendly, organic sustainable clothing.
‘Aim Higher’ Evening Space Gala, London, May 2022
Two pupils from Larne High School and Ballymena Academy secured themselves seats at the prestigious ‘Aim Higher’ Evening Space Gala, which took place at the Science Museum, London on 3 May 2022 in partnership with the Science Summer School nationally.
Andrew Topping from Larne High School and Matylda Rejus from Ballymena Academy were selected to attend the gala which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 space mission with proceeds going towards supporting future STEAM education work in the US and UK. It was the first time that the out of this world event took place in the UK with 15+ astronauts and key people in the international space community attending.
The Space for a Better World Charity donated a table free to organisations and young people representing Science Summer School events around the UK to attend the gala and to hear and meet NASA astronauts.
In attendance were Charlie Duke, the 10th man to walk on the moon, Poppy Northcutt the first female engineer in NASA’s Mission Control, Nicole Stott the 10th woman to spacewalk and Chris Sembroski, SpaceX astronaut and Inspiration4Mission Specialist. Professor Brian Cox CBE also joined the evening by video link from his North American tour.
Prof. Brian Cox presented with winning T-Shirt
School Engagement Activities
Larne High School and Larne Grammar School had the opportunity to learn about local firm, Kilwaughter Minerals which produces high quality products for the construction and agriculture sectors.
The company recently completed a major capital investment for additional warehousing and a blending plant facility to assist the company to meet the increasing demand for products across Ireland and Great Britain.
During the visit, the students had the opportunity to learn more about what makes a major manufacturing company work, the tour of the manufacturing plant included an insight into product development, R&D, business development, quality assessment and quarrying.
Interested in engagement opportunities?
For further details contact: amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Getting practical at Kilwaughter Minerals Kilwaughter and MTF
The Manufacturing Task Force
The Manufacturing Task Force (MTF) is an industry-led initiative, which supports and stimulates the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area’s manufacturing, engineering sector and agri-food sector.
Over fifty companies and stakeholders are actively involved in a range of initiatives to support business growth including engagement with schools to not only secure a pipeline of essential skills for future career opportunities but to ensure students are fully aware of the wide expanse of career opportunities available in a sector which is not only growing and developing but also one that is becoming more technologically driven and focused on green energy resources.
It is through this first-hand experience and interaction that students are being made aware of key roles and opportunities available including engineering, research and development, sales, marketing, human resources, quality control, production, technology and AI and more recently opportunities around green energy and cleantech.
The current pilot Hydrogen Training Academy project supported by the MTF which is providing Level 2 to Level 7 qualifications in basic hydrogen was an industry first in NI and helping to develop future career paths in hydrogen.
To discover more visit: www.investmea.com
